TREE roots and overgrown ivy from a neglected railway embankment are driving a taxi driver to despair as they slowly destroy her garden shed.

Patricia Graves, of Kings Avenue in Woodford Green, has spent more than a year begging Transport for London (TfL) to take responsibility for the roots and overgrown ivy that are sweeping into her garden from the Central line next to it.

The 61-year-old has now enlisted the support of her MP, Iain Duncan Smith, in the hope that he can succeed where she has failed.

“The crack in the concrete floor has widened by three inches in the last year and it's still getting bigger,” she said.

“Ivy from the TfL side of the fence is getting in through the roof, too. I’ve tried to cut it back, but it needs dealing with on the other side.

“They need to do a proper investigation into these roots and cut back the ivy on their side, because I can’t manage it.”

She wrote to TfL last year and was visited by an inspector, but says the company has refused to admit liability.

“They told me they had had a tree expert look at it and decided it was nothing to do with them,” she explained.

“Apparently they sent me a letter in November 2011 explaining everything – well I never received it.”

The MP, who came to have a look at the problem himself, said: “It is a bit like The Day of The Triffids.

“This problem is either being caused by subsidence on the railway bank or by tree roots.

“Whatever the case it is clearly coming from TfL’s side of the fence, and I will be writing to them to demand they send a structural engineer down to assess the damage.”

Mrs Graves said: “I hope he will be able to get TfL to take this seriously, because so far they have been very patronising to me.

“I feel like they have just fobbed me off in the hope I will go away, but I won’t.”

Phil Hufton, London Underground’s Asset Performance Director, said: “We are aware of Mrs Graves' concerns and we will be contacting her to investigate this matter and take appropriate action.

"Work is already underway to trim back trees and plants along this stretch of the Central line by Mrs Graves' home.”

Click here to follow the Wanstead and Woodford Guardian on Twitter

Click here to follow the Wanstead and Woodford Guardian on Facebook